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"Rant" Gets A Movie Option!

I was contacted this week by a film industry friend and producer who has just optioned the rights to the movie version of 'Rant'. He kindly asked me to keep this nondescript for now, but I can say that 'Rant' is officially optioned now and is in the early stages of development. We'll keep you informed as they progress onward.

For now, take this time to discuss. Would 'Rant' make a good movie? How would you like to see it done?

While I was reading the book I could see a lot of the interviews being done out on the street, cars with wedding cakes passing by, the people talking... it should be done like that, like a documentary, but with some movie-esque scenes mixed in. I thought it had a very Natural Born Killers feeling to it, something like that, but without all the screen backgrounds.
For example the scene with Rant's girlfriend (I forgot her name right now) and the married couple, that should be done like a normal movie scene, but Tina Something should appear as an interviewee... something like that.

I see it in Faux-documentary style as well. Christopher Guest (Spinl Tap, Best In Show, A Mighty Wind) would be perfect for the director. He has the same twisted, dry sense of humor. Brad Pitt reprising his role from Kalifornia would make a perfect Rant...charming sociopath hick that he was. David Duchovny would make a perfect Historian, too.

I nearly peed myself with joy when i heard Rant may be concidered for a movie. It is one of my favourite of is books - my only concern is that with every other book i like that has been turned into a film they try so hard to cram as much into a two hour film as possible that they miss certain aspect and the whole point or important parts of the plot can be lost. I honestly hope that they dont do this and i hope the book is done justice.

I also feel that a Natural Born Killers type effect would be good for this book but taken a bit more seriously (less theatical)

YESYESYES. Then again, I am biased; Rant Casey is my favorite Chuck Palahniuk book. I'd love to have it in a movie...but no musicals...songs about rabies maybe would be catchy but kind of creepy xP I think that some parts should be documentary but have flashbacks as well. (:

I think it would be awesome in a 22 Grams, Momento-esque format. Where it jumps around, as the book does a little. Also whenever I read the book, I never particularly visualized it as people sitting down in an interview like situation, although thats sort of how it's written. I more pictured it as flashing between the different, times and stories and memories, vs someone just sitting there and talking about it.

Part of the fun of this book, for me, (which was admittedly a small-ish thing), was that I didn't know what people looked like until three-quarters of the way through the book, after I already had a "relationship" with them. Usually Chuck's books challenge the reader to rethink something they deal with fairly commonly, usually related to how "we" as a society do or assume things, and in cases like Fight Club, that challenge translates to the screen fairly flawlessly.

By withholding descriptions of people, it allowed the reader to make the characters look like anything, and it was jarring (for me) to find out they looked drastically different than I had pictured, whether it was in regard to age, gender, or physicality. I had to rethink, for myself, how much the way people look affects how I perceive who they are. I loved that it added this element, and that it couldn't possibly translate to film as you can't blindfold your audience. When the audience sees how old the rich guy is (I read this last year so I am fuzzy on character names), or sees what the girl character looks like, they are going to judge the characters based on their appearance, and it will change how they do or don't sympathize with them. (Not to mention the fact that knowing what the characters look like early on will kind of give away the books "twist," at least for seasoned sci-fi and fantasy fans.) Chuck really played with the idea of perception in this book, and I don't see (haha) how they will be able to put that theme in a film version.

The other thing I enjoyed about this book was that by not describing what characters looked like until later on, Chuck essentially wrote a book that proved that books aren't obsolete even in this visually driven world. First he got people on a large scale to start reading again, then they made movies of his books which convinced a lot of people that there still wasn't a need to read when you can just watch the movie, and I feel that this book is his response to why books are...well, not why they're important, but perhaps why they're still a valuable medium.

That said, I'm always happy to hear when Chuck's books are made in to movies if only b/c it's like hearing your friend won something.

I totally agree with you on the power of the descriptions being put in later. Maybe I just missed something early on or maybe it was on purpose, but I initially thought Echo was male. So then to find out not only in my mind was "he" a she, but also a physically challenged she, I was totally jarred. I really enjoyed that aspect too and I agree it will be interested to see how that translates to film.

I think the movie should be filmed as a sort of documentery w/a twist .. like the peoples words fad or slow down or go slower and of course a flashback would happen.. or their par of the story or even a view from rants eye.. It be awsome to film from a different perspective then the book.. maybe learn different possibilities of the charactors.

Rant could be turned into a good film. What works in favour of the book is its format: oral biography. The oral biographies CP cites in the front matter of Rant could guide any production of the film (I haven't seen Infamous). I would think that a film keeping with the interview format / multiple perspectives / contrary perspectives would really sail. Perhaps some tips could be taken from New Journalism (Wolfe, Plimpton, Mailer, Didion, Thompson)? Givent he social realism of this mode the supernatural kicker within Rant would be killer.

YEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSS... I was waiting for someone to do this film!!!
Yes, it would be a great film :D
It wasn+t simple to remember all the characters in the book while reading, but it would be great to really see these interesting characters!

This could be great.The idea of mock documentary with flashbacks could work nicely.Still, I think it would be great to let unknown fans of the book play as the party crashers and "present day" extras.
There has got to be a fan out there with Echo Lawrence's disposition.Do what you will with the flash backs and such.Its a cult book,it'll be a cult movie,so why not let the cult followers in on the whole thing.
I am chewing tar in anticipation.

Yeah it sounds great. I'm thrilled. I don't know how good a mockumentary would be. The form of the novel does complicate it a little for the filmmaker. Something is bound to get "lost" in the transformation from novel to movie. In this case, probably the "voices" (i.e others view on Rant). That would be a pity. I'm sceptic 'cause I didn't like how Choke turned out as a movie. That's all.

I agree with most of what has been said that if this were made into a movie it would need to be done in a documentary style. Some have mentioned Christopher Guest as a possible director but I don't know if he'd be right for something like this. I honestly think the best way to do it would be kind of similar in style to the movie My Winnipeg, only maybe not as weird as that one.

I think Christopher Guest( one of my favorite directors ) would not be right. I dont see him pulling of the rabies or any of the dark humor. He is the master of the dry humor. And for who to play rant Brad Pitt would be good MAYBE even Arron Eckhart (he did an amazing job in the dark night) and whoever said David Duchovny hit the nail on the head.

i know this kid with antifreeze green eyes and a supernatural charm. i met him while i was reading rant and in my head, he pretty much *is* rant. he would be perfect. if anyone wants to meet him, let me know. ;p

anyway, due to rant appearing at various ages throughout the book, you'd almost need to find some kids, a string of brothers all three years apart or so who consistently look very much alike. or something. i wonder how they're planning on pulling this off.

I read the book in Paris a year ago and i'll be honest, I saw more of Rant Casey than I did of Gay Paree. I think it will make an excellent movie. It will be very challenging for any director to helm but more than worth the effort. The hardest part will be the casting.

I think because of the oral format of the book the dialogue is going to count for a lot more than in most movies. There are also real counter cultural and social themes that are going to have to be carried mostly by dialogue. This will be a challenge for a director to frame it all, creating some continuity to the flashbacks and the present tense of the story. I'm going to have to see "Choke" before I have a real opinion on "Rant" being successful. If Choke could be done, Rant can too.

I agree... like a mockumentary but I think that Ron Perlman should play Chester, and Jason Statharn as Rant. Some stories they tell about him should be cinematic, but mostly it should be interviews. Glad to hear Hollywood it takeing a likeing to Chuck.

i think it would work if the interviews were more like voice overs of themselves as they are committing the act. for instance as echo is crashing, echo's talking in a voice over. kind of like a commentary on a dvd, only one person at a time.

I was feeling someone a bit younger than most people suggested for rant, I haven't read it for a while but how about someone like paul dano or lukas haas? interesting, not the most obvious choice for a movie out of all the current chuck palahniuk books, but will definitely be a challenge for someone... I am thinking something natural born killersish in style though...

What i found myself doing whilst reading this book was hiding it from everyone, the cover was very odd, the content even stranger, and although i have read possibly 5 or 6 of CP's books, this was by far the wierdest. Fight Club was a lot for the modern audience to bear, even if it was greatly celebrated. I would love to see this made into a film but i have doubts as to its popularity. Which is a shame because i thought it was fantastic. But again i think i would only want it made for my personal enjoyment to enjoy comparing book and film.
I find myself picturing old rant as a cross between james hetfield (lead from metallica) and keith richards in pirates of the caribbean. with a few more craters and scars on his face and hands....
No matter what i hope the film lives up at least a little to the book. And if not, atleast Chuck Palaniuks work is getting out there, which is still incredible.

First, the movie would need to be picked up by Fox 20th Century. It can't be turned into some shitty popcorn movies. So f*ck Warner Brothers.

That being said, I think it could potentially rival 'Fight Club'.

I think CP took big risk trying his luck at Science Fiction. It paid off big time. Second only to 'Fight Club'. No fake documentary, tho, I just don't think that your average person would appreciate it like someone who's read the book. So doing the screenplay would be mega-tricky. Honestly, when I read 'Rant' I thought, here's one that won't be optioned. I guess I'm not so bright. Anyway... I think we need Fincher. We should all like beg him together. Be like PLEASE David PLEASE! I mean the wall or fence with condoms and shit at the beginning, totally seems 'Fight Club' dirty. I know 'Benjamin Button' is coming out and Fincher will have tons of other projects, but common, his best movie is 'Fight Club'. (Yes, I'm including Se7en.) Secondary directors? Uh, Guy Ritchie might be able to pull something special off. I dunno, in Fincher I trust tho so I could only see him doing it.

As for the cast... Buster would be the hardest to cast. I agree with that. Pitt is too old to play someone as young as Buster. I'd love to see Christian Bale do it, but the age thing come in again. They'd need a young Buster and then a young-man Buster for when he meets Echo, Shot, and G.T.S. Maybe Hayden Christensen could do it. He has talent, he just needs to channel it... Hell, even DiCaprio needed 'Gangs of New York' to make people take him seriously. 'Rant' could be Hayden's 'Gangs'.

the thing that I liked most about the book was that the main character wasn't in it. All of the nuance would be lost in a third-person perspective. I think it will probably stretch the believability of the audience to see all these crazy things happening that don't really make sense in sequence, but it makes sense the way that a bunch of people would describe an event. I see it turning out a lot like Southland Tales, which was a good idea, but it just didn't really come together in most people's opinion.

elijah wood would make a cool rant, and i think amber tamblyn would make a nice echo, shot should be played by justin timberlake, and chester should be played by jerry seinfield. Dane cook and Katt Williams should also be in the movie. Basically, put people in the film in places where they do not belong, it creates an awkwardness about the characters that I felt while reading it.

I fully agree with Buster TaylorSimms. Rant is my favorite CP book, perhaps after Fight Club, and could definitely be a badass film. Not to seem to ride the coattails of F.C. but I really can't see anyone else pulling it off better than D Fincher. It would have to be reall gritty and raw but also meticulously put together. Most other people's suggestions for Rant casting were definitely too old. Brad Pitt? maybe as Buster. Ribisi might work as Rant. Green Taylor Simms would have to be an old dude. Brian Cox would be cool but it should probably be someone skinnier. BTS's Echo suggestions would all be sweet, that's the right track... hot actress made to look damaged... but still hot. and yeah, if done right Rant the movie should be amazing, especially if it could retain at least some of the book's twists and suprises (there are so many, it's a freakin ride)!

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